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Batavia – Dan checks in from windy upstate New York with some Website Whispers on a few different topics. Let’s get this underway . . .
According to a source close to the Bills, the reason Buffalo wasn’t interested in drafting Geno Smith in the 2013 selecting meetings is that they didn’t think he handled the blitz well.
So it shouldn’t come as a surprise they blitzed the heck out of him.
Smith has had a really hard time with blitzes, especially corner blitzes. He doesn’t do a good job sensing corner blitzes. Perhaps this will come with time.
The Jets’ second drive ended with a cornerback blitz from nickel back Nickell Roby (yes, the Bills nickel back is named Nickell).
The Jets third drive ended when safety Gil Bryd blitzing off the edge, like a corner.
Bengals had great success with corner blitzes against Smith, especially with Adam Jones.
So far, Doug Marrone’s concern about this player and blitzes have some merit.
Geno Smith does need a lot of work vs. blitzes.
And he needs to be more aware of guys coming off the edge.
Corner blitzes should work once in a while in the NFL, but not as much as they do against the Jets.
Remember, the player is coming from a pretty far distance, you need to have a better sense of this kind of pressure.
Geno is young. Perhaps in time, he will figure this out, and do a better job on this front . . .
John Idzik has done some good things (Sheldon Richardson, Chris Ivory, David Nelson, Greg Salas, Zach Sudfeld) and some not as good things (Mike Goodson, the left guard situations, Mark Sanchez playing in the fourth quarter against the Giants), but one thing we’ve clearly learned is that is competition mantra was blown out of proportion.
He’s not as into the concept as initially advertised, and that is fine, he’s the GM, he can do whatever he wants.
When you anoint five of your draft picks starters, whether they are ready or not, that flies in the face of the competition.
When you keep two late round offensive linemen draft picks on the roster, who aren’t ready for prime-time and had rough summers, that also flies in the face of competition.
Like I said, he’s the GM and can do whatever he wants.
But I’m just being upfront here – I’m not writing about competition anymore, because I don’t think it’s going on.
And that is fine, as long as Idzik wins . . .
Rex Ryan said today he’s thinking about giving Matt Simms some reps in practice.
Look, I don’t want to come across as a hypocrite because I just wrote about how the competition has gone by the wayside.
But here is why this Simms reps angle could be a problem.
If Geno Smith is going to be the starting quarterback, being such a inexperienced, green quarterback, he needs every rep he can get.
There are limited reps in practice. Only so many to go around. If you take away some from Smith, you could really hurt his preparation for Sunday.
This guy needs reps, reps and more reps.
And this also begs the question – what on earth is David Garrard doing on this football team?
The mentor thing is overrated.
How did Gerrard’s mentoring help Geno on the sidelines in Cincinnati and Buffalo?
Garrard has played in 84 career games. He has seen it all. You have a 5-5 team in the thick of the wild card hunt.
Why wouldn’t he be in the conversation right now?
Idzik’s quarterback world view is hard to figure out sometimes . . .
